


Cupid's Arrow Will Strike You Down

by TorunnSays412



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Prince Louis, Servant Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TorunnSays412/pseuds/TorunnSays412
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Louis gets out of one arranged marriage - only to be put in another one. This one, however, may just last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupid's Arrow Will Strike You Down

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on tumblr - I don't think this is exactly what she wanted, and I definitely didn't expect for this to be 12 pages long, but it turned out pretty good. I think.

Louis sat up in his bed, cocking his head to the side. What was that? It was – he checked the clock – six in the morning, no one should be up yet.

He slipped out of bed, creeping towards the door and pulling it open as quietly as he could. He poked his head out, checking the hall for any sign of where the noise had come from.

But everything was silent, and it seemed he was the only one who had heard it anyways. He frowned, unable to let it go, especially now that he was up.

He closed his door behind him, walking down the hall quietly towards the stairs. When he was downstairs, looking around to figure out where he should go next, he heard a muffled swear.

A smirk spread across his face; one of the servants must have dropped something or messed something up.

In the dining room was where he found the trouble; a young boy was crouching next to a broken plate, trying to sweep up the shards before anyone found it. But Louis had never seen him before.

“Hey, are you new?” he asked before he could help himself. The boy jumped, his hand clenching around the glass before he could drop it. He swore again as blood dripped down his wrist.

“Oh, shit, let me help you with that,” Louis said frantically, rushing forward, grabbing a few napkins while he was at it. He kneeled next to the boy, reaching out a hand to curl around his wrist and pull it away from his chest.

“Sorry about that,” Louis said as he wrapped the napkins around the boy’s cut hand. “I should have done something for you to know I was here before I did that.”

“It’s okay,” the boy murmured, shaking his head so his unruly curls fell in his face. “I’ll heal.”

“No, it’s not,” Louis argued. “You’re bleeding…oh, God, that is a lot of blood, where’s a bandage? Oh, God, okay, follow me, we’re gonna go upstairs to the bathroom. I know there’s a first aid kit in there.”

He stood, tugging on the boy’s arm to make him follow. Standing up, the boy was much taller than him, and it made Louis feel like a child compared to him, but he shrugged it off. His main priority was getting bandages.

He led the boy back up the stairs, still finding the ability to keep quiet even when he was internally freaking out. He didn’t want his parents to wake up and find him.

Once in the bathroom, Louis shut the door and hunted through the sink cabinet until he found the first aid kit.

“Here,” he said. “Sit on the counter, and stick your hand under the faucet.”

The boy did as he was told, hoisting himself up and finding the most comfortable position he could. Louis turned the water on, pulling the boy’s hand closer to watch the water wipe away all traces of blood.

“What’s your name?” Louis wondered, not lifting his gaze. “I haven’t seen you around before.”

The boy seemed uncomfortable, his arm tensing slightly in Louis’ grip before it relaxed. “Harry.”

Louis looked up to wait for the rest of his answer. Harry flushed.

“I just started today.”

“How old are you?” Louis asked, because this boy couldn’t be older than seventeen.

“Eighteen.”

“Really? Why are you working here when there are so many other opportunities for you?”

Harry shrugged; it was clear he didn’t want to talk about it. Louis dropped it. Instead, he picked up Harry’s hand, studying the pink line of flesh. Blood was still seeping out of the cut.

He went through the first aid kit, finally finding a big enough bandage. He dried off Harry’s cut with a nearby towel, wincing at the pink bloodstains staining the white fabric. His mum was going to kill him.

He bandaged up Harry’s arm, looking up into bright green eyes when he was done. He stilled, unable to move from Harry’s gaze.

It wasn’t until he heard one of his sisters run down the hall screaming that he broke the contact, stepping away and shivering.

Harry slid off the counter, grimacing as his injured hand bumped the wall.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

“It’s no problem,” Louis replied. “I do it for my sisters all the time.”

Harry nodded and stepped around Louis, his arm brushing Louis’ side. Louis didn’t turn and leave with him; he stayed and stared at his reflection for another second. Then he nearly fell out the door in his haste to catch up to Harry, who was halfway down the hall.

Louis grabbed Harry’s arm, startling the younger boy. “I’m Louis, by the way,” he said. Harry smiled.

“I know. Thanks, Louis.”

/\/\

Throughout the day Harry kept popping up. He was standing by when Louis’ family ate breakfast, clearing away dishes carefully, especially with his bandaged hand. Louis noticed that no one asked him what happened.

Harry was also the one assigned to clean the downstairs rooms, so he was wandering around when Louis tried to escape the madness that was his life in the TV room.

Louis tried to ignore Harry, tried to focus on whatever program was showing on the TV, but he couldn’t help it when his gaze would stray to the younger boy’s arse when he would bend down.

Louis shook his head. He needed to stop. He was a prince of Edukia, next in line for the throne. He couldn’t be chasing after eighteen-year-old servants.

“Louis, dear, your father wants you.” His mother was suddenly in the doorway, twisting her hands in her skirt. Phoebe ran down the hall behind her, shrieking with laughter.

“What does he want?”

Louis stood up, flipping the TV off and dropping the remote on the sofa.

“I don’t think he would want me telling you,” she said softly as she moved aside to let him past her. He gave her a look of confusion, but she shook her head.

He found his father in his study, sitting at his desk with his head in his hands and letters spread out in front of him.

“Father?”

His father lifted his head to look at Louis, sighing. “Sit down, Louis. We have to talk about a few things.”

Louis cautiously entered the room, sinking down in a chair in front of his father. “What is it?”

“Louis, you have to understand that I would never do this to you unless I absolutely had to.” His father paused, closing his eyes and sucking in a breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“There is going to be an arranged marriage, Louis. Between you and Eleanor, from the kingdom of Hartseer.”

Louis sat up sharply, shaking his head desperately. “No,” he breathed. “Father, you promised you wouldn’t. That you would let me choose my bride.”

“I am sorry, Louis.” Louis went to stand, hands clenched into fists at his sides, ready to run from the room. “Louis, please, you need to understand. Edukia has fallen into great debt, and there was nothing else I could do. Hartseer’s King has agreed to help us if you and his daughter marry.”

“I won’t do it,” Louis insisted. “I don’t know her; she could be a horrible person.”

“Louis, your mother and I—“

“I know that you and Mother’s marriage was arranged, and that you learned to love each other. What if I can’t do that with her?”

“If you don’t, well…”

“I refuse to be a part of this.”

“Louis, if you don’t do this I will have no choice but to use Charlotte. She is old enough to know her duty, and Hartseer has a prince that would be willing to marry her.”

Louis sank down in his chair. He couldn’t let his father do this to Lottie. She was still young, still had so much life ahead of her. If she was married, she would be expected to do so many things, and there was no way she could handle it. She was strong, all his sisters were, but she wasn’t that strong.

“Okay,” he whispered. “I’ll do it. Just leave the girls out of this.”

“You’re doing the right thing, Louis.” His father sat back, heaving a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Louis breathed as he dismissed himself from the room. He held back from running down the hall until he got to the front door; the second it was open, he took off at a dead sprint.

He didn’t know where exactly he was going until he slowed, what seemed like hours later, and took in his surroundings.

There were trees everywhere, and when he looked behind him he couldn’t see the castle, meaning he had traveled quite a long way. He searched for a familiar landmark, continuing to move forward even though he knew that he should head back.

He ended up in a clearing, with tall grass and a clean stream of water running past. He didn’t bother going any farther.

He collapsed against a tree, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground. He tilted his head back to stare at the cloudy sky, before he closed his eyes.

It was only a few seconds later that the tears began to drip down his face as he realized what had happened. His father had used his sister against him, threatening to do to her exactly what Louis was afraid of.

It was a long time before he could breathe properly without bringing a fresh wave of tears.

/\/\

“The Queen is frantic,” the cook said as she moved about the kitchen. Harry watched her without saying anything. In his short time here, he had learned that the woman who cooked for the castle was a huge gossip, and she didn’t require an answer when she talked.

“It seems the prince has run away.”

Harry sat up straight, eyes wide. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Sweetie,” she said. “I know everything that goes on in the castle. Yes, he ran right out the door.”

Harry tried to let this information sink in – Louis had run away? That couldn’t be right. He was the prince of Edukia. He couldn’t leave. Could he?

“Excuse me.” A smooth voice cut in to Harry’s train of thought. “Are you the new servant?”

Harry looked up slowly, afraid of what he would see. The queen stood in front of him, waiting for an answer.

“Uh-yes, yes my lady,” he stammered. She assessed him with pursed lips.

“You will have to do,” she decided. Harry gulped. “Find my son. He ran out of the castle, and we must find him before the sun goes down. You are close to him in age – you should be able to talk some sense into him.”

“Yes, my lady,” Harry said, standing up quickly.

“Good.” Her expression softened, and she looked more worried for her missing son than ever. “Please, bring him home. I’ll do anything to have my baby home.”

Harry nodded, stunned, and the queen left the kitchen. Harry looked back at the cook, who shooed him forward and out the door.

Harry went outside, looking around. If he was running straight out of the castle, and it seemed Louis had been, he would keep running in a straight line, right? So Louis would have gone straight into the forest.

Harry stopped at the edge of the trees, looking back at the castle and wondering if he should bring someone with him. But he shook that thought from his head. How embarrassing would it be if he had to take someone with him when he was in the forest?

He soon found a path of wreckage, left behind by someone who was moving fast. Harry followed the line of destruction, and when it ended he guessed. He would find Louis eventually.

Hopefully.

/\/\

Louis was crouching by the water, washing his face with the cool water, when Harry finally found him. Louis didn’t realize he was there until he turned and saw him standing three meters behind him.

He gave a yelp, nearly falling backward in surprise. Harry flushed, raising his hands.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you…”

“What-how did you find me?” Louis asked.

“I followed the path of destruction. You didn’t hide your trail very well.”

Louis scrubbed a hand across his face. “Who sent you out here? Was it my father?”

“No,” Harry said, taking a step closer. Louis pretended not to notice. “Your mother. She wasn’t taking your disappearance well.”

They were silent for a moment, each thinking their own thoughts. Finally Harry broke the silence. “If you don’t mind me asking…what made you leave?”

Louis sucked in a breath, closing his eyes. “My father…he’s arranging a marriage between me and the princess of a nearby kingdom.”

“Don’t you want that? I mean,” Harry added hastily when he saw Louis’ face, “wouldn’t that be better for Edukia?”

“Yeah, it would, I guess. Apparently we’re in debt.” Louis sighed and rocked back on his heels. “But I don’t know her – and Father promised me that he would never do this. Then he went ahead and did it anyway, and when I refused he threatened to use Lottie instead of me.”

Harry blew out a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Louis stood and raked a hand through his hair. “It’s not your problem.”

“If there’s anything I can do…”

“I don’t think there is anything you can do. But if there’s something,” Louis forced a smile. “I’ll be sure to find you.”

/\/\

Louis and Harry returned to the castle in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Louis desperately wanted to turn and run the closer they got, but the first time he tried, Harry had looked at him sternly, shaking his head.

Louis didn’t know when the roles flipped, and suddenly it was the servant keeping the prince in line, but he wasn’t exactly arguing with it. Who knows what his father would do if he Louis ran away.

Harry pushed open the door, stepping aside to let Louis past him. Louis smiled, nodding to him. He took a couple steps into the castle before he stopped, cocking his head to the side. He turned back to Harry.

“Thanks,” he said softly. “For coming after me.”

“Hey, it was no problem,” Harry said, smiling. “No offense, but it’s not like I really had a choice, though.”

“Still, thanks.”

“Harry, there you are!” One of the other maids ran forward. “Thank God, we’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“What is it, Helen?” Harry asked.

“The queen has been asking for you; she wants to know if you have found the prince.”

“Yes, I did.” Harry nodded to Louis. Helen stilled her frantic hand motions and cut a glance at him, cheeks heating.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry, your highness, I didn’t see you there,” she apologized. Louis chuckled.

“It’s okay; I didn’t exactly do anything to draw attention to myself.”

She nodded. “Harry, the queen is in her room. She said for you to go straight there when you came back.”

“Okay. Thanks, Helen.”

She nodded again and disappeared down the hall. Harry turned to Louis.

“I’m sorry to have to ask you this…”

“You want me to take you to my mum’s room?” Louis laughed.

“Yes, please.”

Louis led the way up the stairs and down the hall to his mother’s room. Louis knocked on the door lightly, and she called for them to enter.

She didn’t notice Louis at first, studying a folded piece of paper sitting in her lap. She didn’t look up when she said, “Yes?”

“My lady?” Harry said quietly, and she looked up sharply. Her eyes widened when she saw Louis at his side.

“Louis! You’re back!” she cried, springing up and launching herself across the room. She hugged Louis tightly.

“Yeah, Mum, I’m back.”

“I was so worried,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry. I was just angry at him.”

She pulled back, looking in his eyes. She finally sighed. “I tried to stop it, honey, I really did.”

“I know you did, Mum,” he said.

“Excuse me, but is there anything else you need?” Harry interrupted quietly. Jay looked at him.

“Actually, there is something you can do,” she mused, tilting her head to the side. She smiled. “You like spending time with my son, right?”

“Uh…” Harry blinked. “Yes, yeah, I guess so.”

“Great.” She smiled. “Marry him then.”

“Huh?” Harry forced himself to close his gaping mouth.

“Mum!”

“Yes, Louis?”

“You can’t do that!”

“I’m the queen, I can do anything.”

“I’m sorry, but what in the world are you talking about?” Harry stared at the queen.

“He would never survive being in an arranged marriage,” she said, “And if he’s engaged to marry you before his father can send the paperwork, well, then he’ll be free.”

“Do I not get a say in this?” Louis asked.

“No, because he is better than that Eleanor girl.” The queen sighed. “I have nothing against her, but she takes her duties way too seriously.”

“You have got to be kidding.” Louis shook his head. “Mum!”

“Yes, Louis?” Jay stared at her son for a long moment, and when he didn’t say anything she smirked. “You know that this is the only way out.”

Louis sighed, shaking his head. “Fine. Do what you want. I don’t care, as long as it gets me out of this.”

He turned and left the room. Harry still stood there, shocked, with no idea of how this had happened.

It wasn’t until Louis came back into the room, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hallway that it sank in.

He was engaged to the prince of Edukia.

/\/\

A week later, Louis was laying face down on his bed. His mother had decided that he needed to be married immediately, and she had forbidden Harry from doing his job. Harry was too scared of her to argue that he needed the money.

It was technically Harry’s day off, and though he wasn’t working at all, he still took it. He went home to see his family for the day, which meant Louis was alone.

He didn’t like it.

He had gotten used to having Harry around him as Jay forced him to give his opinions on things like flowers and food.

There was a knock on the door, and seconds later it was open. Zayn walked across the room, sitting down on the edge of Louis’ bed.

“Go away,” Louis mumbled, tossing a hand to try and hit his friend. Zayn smacked his hand away.

“No.”

“I don’t want you here,” Louis whined, rolling on to his back. He stared up at the ceiling dejectedly.

“Sure you don’t,” Zayn chuckled. He scooted back to lie next to Louis. “Heard you were getting married.”

“Yep.” Louis curled into his friend’s side, nodding into Zayn’s neck.

“How did that happen?”

Louis shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. My dad told me I was engaged to Eleanor – you know her, she’s been here a few times – and the next thing I knew, my mum was getting me engaged to the new servant. I don’t even know how that happened.”

“Are you happy with it?”

Louis turned his head to stare at the wall, thinking hard. “Well…Harry’s a nice guy, I like him…but I don’t want to get married. At least, not yet. I wanted to do something with my life before this became my priority.”

“Basically, you’re saying you wouldn’t mind marrying him.”

“No. I wouldn’t mind.”

“Then why are you freaking out about it?” Zayn pulled his head back to stare down at Louis, who sighed.

“Because I’m only twenty years old!”

“Our parents were married by the time they were eighteen, Louis.”

“So? I’m not ready!”

“You’ll be fine, Louis.” Zayn smiled, sliding down a little to get more comfortable. Louis rested his head on his friend’s chest. “Everything will turn out exactly the way you want it to.”

/\/\

Harry spent a couple hours with his mum and sister, answering all their questions about working in the castle and what the royal family was like, how it felt to be engaged to the prince.

He noticed that they didn’t question the manner of _how_ they became engaged to deeply.

Later, after his mum had forced him to eat lunch with his family, he went out to find Niall.

He found his friend in the park, sitting on a swing and sipping a bottle of water.

“Hey,” Harry called, and Niall looked up with a frown. When he saw that it was Harry, he grinned, jumping up to hug him.

“Harry!”

“Hey, Niall,” Harry laughed. “Gosh, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Your fault,” Niall said. “You were the one who decided to leave and find a job somewhere that I wasn’t.”

“I needed the money!”

“Doesn’t matter!”

“Okay, whatever,” Harry said. “Doesn’t matter whose fault it is.”

“Yeah, sure, sure,” Niall agreed. “So how have you been?”

“Well, I’m engaged?” Harry tried. Niall, who had taken a sip of his water, promptly choked and spat it out.

“What? I’m sorry, did you just say you were _engaged_?” Niall wiped his mouth through another cough.

“Yes?”

“Harry!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Who is it? How’d you meet? What’s she like? Do I know her?” Niall rattled off questions faster than Harry could answer.

“Um…it’s Louis…”

“Oh, it’s a guy? What’s his last name?”

“…Tomlinson…”

It took Niall a moment before the name registered.

“You’re getting married to the prince of Edukia?!”

“Niall!” Harry hissed, clapping a hand over his friend’s mouth. “Shut up!”

Harry smiled at the few people who gave them strange looks, waiting until they were looking away before he smacked Niall’s arm.

“You can’t tell anyone about this, Niall,” Harry told him as Niall looked at him. “It hasn’t been announced yet.”

“Okay, okay, now tell me _everything_.”

“You’re such a school girl.”

/\/\

Time passed. The marriage was announced, and was received with varying degrees of acceptance. Of course, there were always those few who were apprehensive, unsure what a gay royal couple would do to the kingdom.

Louis’ father went through hell trying to repair their relationship with Hartseer – needless to say, he was not happy with Louis. Finally, everything was forgiven, and Eleanor even sent them a letter congratulating Harry and Louis on the engagement.

The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear, and as Harry stared out the window while his suit was fixed, he felt a little nervous.

Not because he was getting married, exactly, but because of who he was getting married to.

By the end of the day, he would be married to _Prince Louis Tomlinson_. He would be a part of the royal family.

Oh, God he wasn’t ready for this.

He was alone now; whoever had been helping him get ready had left. Harry sucked in several deep breaths, feeling faint.

He would never make it. He could barely handle talking to the king and queen – soon they would be his in-laws. How was he supposed to do this?

He was hyperventilating now, unable to get a proper breath in. Staring at himself in the mirror, he found himself wondering, _What the hell am I doing?_   _I’m not royal material!_

The door opened, and Harry’s gaze slid over his reflection to gaze behind him. Louis stood there, shaking his head.

“Babe, calm down,” he said, stepping forward and resting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Breathe, come on, you’re okay.”

Slowly, Harry’s breaths evened out, matching Louis’ chest movement.  Louis pressed closer to him, resting his chin on Harry’s shoulder.

“What are you freaking out about this time?”

Harry bit his lip. “It’s stupid…”

“Harry. Come on.”

“I was just wondering if I was ready for this…”

“Babe, it’s a little late for that. You’re supposed to be walking down the aisle in twenty minutes.”

Harry glared at him. “Louis, you don’t understand! I’m not royal material!”

“Yes you are. Just think.” Louis smiled at him through the mirror. “In a few hours, we can leave. Go on our honeymoon. You can get used to the fact that you’re married to me, and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to be married to me?”

Harry rolled his eyes and twisted around in Louis’ arms. “God, I can’t believe you,” he muttered.  
  
“You love me.” Louis smirked, leaning closer to Harry.

Harry smiled, tilting his head until his lips were almost touching Louis’. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I do.”

 


End file.
